Ya know, we need to start getting more creative with the way we raise funds. We all know the richest americans have more money than basically the entire planet combined. The issue we keep fighting is to raise/lower taxes, but they either avoid taxes, make interest on their investments of billions or have other ways of avoiding taxes altogether. It's just the name of the game for the wealthy.
Lets start brainstorming new ways to raise funds for the government. I get that there are municipal bonds, T bonds, savings bonds, etc. But what if we started offering bonds or other financial incentives for specific programs in the United States. For example, a higher education bond. The rich could buy into higher education bonds, collect interest/principal and we could turn around use the funds we raise to help finance schools for higher education. Doesn't have to be exactly like that, but we need to start becoming more creative in how we plan to make money off the rich. Taxing more or at any rate above 30% will never happen in our lifetime, and the raising of capital gains can hurt retirees or other younger investors, so that generally dies off too.
Raising the SS/Medicaid cap limit won't ever happen, national sales tax or VAT might be possible, but Americans will balk at it. Regardless, with the way we create new taxes, even the AMT tax was meant to be at the rich, and now it hits upper middle class and middle class people.
No matter what, the average American loses. Either hang the rich, attempt to tax the rich or try to work with them for an equal financial benefit, its up to us.